John Alexander Johnston

John Alexander Johnston (22 February 1858 – 5 January 1940) was an American military officer and commissioner of the District of Columbia born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. He served as a brigadier general during World War I.

Early life

Johnston was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania on February 22, 1858, the son of Alexander and Sarah R. Johnston. He was commissioned into the cavalry and performed frontier duty in Texas from 1879 to 1882. In 1883, he was an honor graduate from the Infantry and Cavalry School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, after which he became an instructor there, instructing on the art of war and engineering until 1885.

In 1886, Johnston was promoted to first lieutenant and would alternate between frontier duty in South Dakota multiple times, from 1886 to 1887, 1891–93 and 1895–97. In October 1918, he was assigned to command the division, and he received the Army Distinguished Service Medal at the end of the war. The citation for the medal reads:

Returning to the United States, Johnston commanded the 153rd Depot Brigade at Camp Dix, New Jersey from January to February 1919, when he was relieved of active duty.

Personal life

Johnston married Henrietta Vargelia (Vandergrift) Loomis (1862–1930) in 1888. After his first wife's death, he married divorcée Zella (McAllister) Barnes (1877–1936) in 1932.

Death and legacy

Johnston died on January 5, 1940, at the Mount Alto Veterans Hospital in Washington, D.C., from a heart ailment at the age of 81. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.